Espial
by Sam1
Summary: Observations of a brother interspaced with a poem by G. Saintiny.


Disclaimer: This story has been written for the sole purpose of entertaining myself and hopefully those who read it.-sam1

A/N: The poem, "I Believe in You and Your Success" was written by G. Saintiny and as such credit should be given to that writer.

Espial

_The act of watching or observing; observation._

Reclining on one of the lounge chairs near the pool, I can give the appearance of relaxing as I was ordered to do. Dad had agreed with Brains to put me on restricted duties due to his diagnosis of exhaustion. Sure, I was tired but who wouldn't be if they were up before 5AM and went to bed around midnight every night. I've never slept well but since the inception of International Rescue, sleep is even more elusive. But that is neither here nor there. Right now, I'm much more interested in watching my younger brothers goof around in the pool. Dad is sitting at a table with Grandma enjoying a glass of Kyrano's homemade lemonade. For some reason a poem that Mom used to favor crept into my head and I was able to connect a verse to my dad and each of my brothers.

_I believe_

_That you can accomplish_

_Wonderful things_

_Because you, yourself,_

_Are wonderful._

If that doesn't sum up my thoughts for my father nothing ever will. He started out as a farmboy back in Kansas. With hard work and perseverance, he was one of the most successful businessmen in the world which was the means to the most awesome and wonderful thing he could do and that was start International Rescue. He needed no accolades for his dream. It was enough that others were spared the same loss of a loved one unlike his loss…our loss. Not a day has gone by that we don't miss Lucy Tracy, wife and mother.

_I believe _

_That however tough things get,_

_You'll ultimately win out_

_Because life isn't about toughness,_

_It's about care._

_And you care._

_And I care about you._

_So, I know._

Alan must have been the inspiration for that bit. He thinks that he has to act tough but I know that it's an act to try and shield himself from being hurt. When he least expects it, his caring nature overcomes the tough façade. He's more like me than either of us would like to admit but I'm still proud of the man he is becoming.

_I believe _

_That however long it takes_

_For you to fulfill you goals,_

_You will succeed _

_Because the secret is_

_That you are already a success._

_And you always have been._

Just a couple of years ago, Gordon scared the hell out of our family when his hydrofoil crashed and he was severely injured. He was in a coma for three weeks and in the hospital for three months before being released to a rehabilitation facility so that he could learn how to walk again. Through sheer determination, he did what the doctors said he would never do again…walk. Hell, not only did he regain the use of his legs, he went on to win an Olympic Gold Medal. Even that didn't top what I saw him do after winning. As he made his way to where we had gathered, a young man in a wheelchair shyly approached my brother when out of nowhere a group of young women pushed past the man in the wheelchair. Brushing aside their requests for autographs and God knows what else, Gordon walked over to the young man and chatted to him for a moment before writing something on a small slip of paper the man held. Later, I asked about it and Gordon admitted that he'd seen himself in that wheelchair and had felt instant compassion for the other man and had given him his personal email address. To this day, they still email each other.

_I believe_

_That bright moments,_

_Warm moments,_

_Are always part of our lives_

_If we'll only stop, look around,_

_And celebrate them._

Virgil has a natural talent to capture those special moments either on canvas or on film. His talent is showcased all over our home including in some of our bedrooms. At my request, he painted a mural on the wall above the headboard of my bed of a lone wolf standing on a rocky ledge, howling at the moon. It is his sensitive side that allows him to show us what we would otherwise miss.

_So consider this_

_A moment of time – stopped -_

_To make it possible to look around _

_And celebrate the warmth_

_And natural brilliance within you…_

_And to believe!_

John, the quietest of us all, can make us stop and look around at the natural beauty of the world around us. Kyrano had mentored him when he was younger and lost without our mother. Kyrano's calming presence helped my brother heal and lose the haunted look in his eyes. His love of the heavens has also helped heal him in more ways than one. It gave him an outlet to express his insistent desire to learn. I'd been afraid that he would always be quiet and withdrawn but those fears have been unfounded much to my relief.

"HEADS UP!" I managed to look up just in time to be hit in the chest by the wayward volleyball that my brothers had been playing with. "Sh…darnit, Scott, I'm sorry!" Alan clambered out of the pool and quickened his pace until he was next to me. A red splotch had appeared where the ball hit me and it stung a bit but I forgot about any discomfort when my diminutive yet formidable grandmother swatted Alan on his bare leg with the flyswatter she kept within reach that was used solely to keep us in line. Relaxing back in my lounger, I listened to Virgil and Gordon laughing at Alan while Grandma chastised him on the proper way to speak with a lady present. The warmth of the sun and the comforting sounds of most of my brothers nearby, I fell asleep.


End file.
